Management methods are generally known. In particular, official registers that can be queried remotely (e.g. criminal record registers such as the German central federal register or the German register of traffic offenders) are managed in this way.
A method for managing data records by using a computer system is known from DE 100 08 153 A1. The data records can have person-related contents here. The computer system receives an authorization code and an access instruction for at least one data record. It then executes the access instruction only if the authorization code matches a comparison criterion which is determined by the computer system on the basis of a data record code assigned to the data record. The data record code is specific to the persons permitted to access the data record.
Similar databases with a plurality of (e.g. X-ray) images are used in the medical field too. These databases are operated and managed by the respective health service provider (e.g. a hospital).
The access to data records held in such databases is sufficient if the query is performed within the health service provider. However, if the person whose data are contained in the data records changes health service provider (e.g. as a result of a move, a different treatment reason or dissatisfaction with the previous service provider), the problem of enabling a new health service provider access to the already existing data records arises. Moreover, the problem that the respective person often does not know themself whether and what data records about them are stored additionally arises in this connection.
It has already been proposed to set up central databases (possibly as part of an electronic patient file) in which the data generated in each case by all health service providers can be stored. Such approaches, however, present two problems.
On the one hand a complete and comprehensive solution is very complex. On the other hand a partial solution which covers only some of the health service providers presents the same basic problem already outlined above in connection with one service provider. The same problem of access would arise in the event of a person changing to a service provider that is not part of this database system.
In addition, the question of who should operate these databases arises. In this regard, it has previously been proposed that either the health service providers or the health insurance companies should do so. However, patients can change both health service provider and health insurance company. The problem of orderly access thus arises again in this case too.